Karnataka poll panel awaits clarity on local body elections

State Election Commissioner B Basavaraju said he is in touch with the government to understand the way forward on holding local elections

Even as the State Election Commission is awaiting clarity on the Supreme Court order on holding local body polls, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asked the BJP government to “be ready for a legal fight”.

State Election Commissioner B Basavaraju said he is in touch with the government to understand the way forward on holding elections to the BBMP and zilla-taluk panchayats that are pending.

"The SC order needs to be interpreted as applying for Karnataka as well," Basavaraju told DH.

"As far as the BBMP elections are concerned, there is a stay in the SC. We have filed a memo seeking vacation of the stay," he said. "When it comes to ZP/TP elections, the government will have to give clarity on delimitation and reservation status. We moved a writ petition in the High Court asking for directions to conduct the elections, which are due, and since we have already completed the procedure. This petition is still pending before the High Court," he said.

The top court has asked states to give OBC quota in the local body based on data on political backwardness. In the absence of data, OBCs must contest under the general category.

Siddaramaiah urged the government to use the yet-to-be-released caste census findings so that elections can be held with quotas for backward classes. "This has accurate data of political representation of people of all castes and there is no need for a separate survey," he said.

"The SC, in its previous order, has allowed states to give the already available data to the new commission. The commission can analyse this data and can give interim recommendations. The BJP is wasting time even though SC has given some solution to the issue," he said. "The SC has always asked for exhaustive and reliable data in cases related to reservation," he said.

Committed to give OBC quota: CM

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the government will decide after consulting the State Election Commission on holding local body polls. "Our BJP party is committed to giving representation to OBCs over and above provisions already in place. It is our endeavour to increase the representation of OBCs as a step toward achieving social equality whilst also ensuring their participation in local bodies for better governance," he said in a tweet.